Last Thursday, I attended an event that opened my eyes to the importance of organizational culture in the IT industry. The meeting, led by Krzysztof Pawełko, a Java Technical Leader, focused on how mistakes can be seen as a natural part of the development process, not as a reason to punish employees.
During the presentation “Blameless post mortem. Z*eś i co dalej?” I learned how to conduct a constructive analysis of situations “after the fact.” It is key to identify the root causes of problems and gather data and opinions from the team. The timing of this is very important; it should not be about blaming people immediately, but it also cannot be too late. The speaker explained that developers should feel responsible for their part of the work. We discussed together and created practical recommendations that can help in the future.
Instead of identifying — and punishing — those who messed up, non-blaming post-mortem analyses focus on improving future actions. One of the most important points emphasized was transparent communication. Sharing conclusions with the team brings long-term benefits and helps in better understanding problems. This approach builds trust within the team and allows for more effective problem-solving. The meetup included interesting examples and ways to solve production issues. The presentation may have been less technical, but it was very needed because it showed that we must admit our mistakes, not hide them, but try to prevent them in the future.
The event took place on February 27, 2025, at BTL Lalki café. Since it was Fat Thursday, we enjoyed traditional Polish donuts 🙂 I look forward to more meetings that will help me develop my skills and better understand challenges in the IT world.
My path to the IT world is not just about learning programming but also understanding the value of teamwork and openness to feedback. Every meeting like this brings me closer to becoming a better programmer and team member.